Unplugging from the corporate media bubble has given us a chance to read, discuss and consider how Taproot Farm can be a catalyst for positive change in these troubled times. By reading such authors as Wendell Berry, Thom Hartmann, Richard Heinberg, Bill McKibben, Gene Logsden and many more, we hope we might model some "re-skilling" - relearning some of the traditional skills that will be needed to adapt to a challenging future.

We strongly believe we are living in an age of unprecedented change, with a number of crises converging. Climate change, global economic instability, overpopulation, erosion of community, declining biodiversity, and resource wars, have all stemmed from the availability of cheap, non-renewable fossil fuels. Global oil, gas and coal production is predicted to irreversibly decline in the next 10 to 20 years, and severe climate changes are already taking effect around the world. The coming shocks are likely to be catastrophic if we do not prepare. As Richard Heinberg states:

"Our central survival task for the decades ahead, as individuals and as a species, must be to make a transition away from the use of fossil fuels – and to do this as peacefully, equitably, and intelligently as possible”.

We are so inspired by the movement towards a small-scale, local, land-based economy and lifestyle. Click - Enlightened Simplicity- to view a clear and thoughtful discussion of what it means to create the “Good Life” (more life) out of less fuel, less income, less land. What an inspiration! Richard Heinberg discusses these things while taking us on a tour of his 1/4 acre oasis. Well worth watching. The Transition movement represents one of the most promising ways of engaging people and communities to take the far-reaching actions required to mitigate the effects of peak oil, climate change and the economic crisis. Furthermore, these relocalization efforts are designed to create a life that is more fulfilling, more socially connected and more equitable than the one we have today.We are pleased to be founding members of the first transition group in West Virginia: Sustainable Potomac Highlands. At Taproot Farm, we have chosen to highlight three transition skills: Natural Building, Permaculture, and Solar Power.